Making Believers
January 08, 2003 05:38 PM | General
January 8, 2003
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Count me among the believers.
No, I’m not jumping on the John Beilein bandwagon simply because he’s got a watered-down team off to a 9-3 start with eye opening wins over Florida, Tennessee and Miami.
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| West Virginia coach John Beilein and his coaching staff have the Mountaineers off to a remarkable 9-3 start. (All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks) |
I’m not piling on because his squad is recapturing that old Coliseum magic -- winning all seven games at home so far this season.
And no, I’m not leading the cheers because he’s doing it with just seven scholarship players and four walk-ons.
What really got me convinced happened last night early in the first half of the Miami game.
Instead of positioning myself at press row high above the floor behind both teams where I usually stand, I decided to walk around the Coliseum and sit in my seats directly across from the West Virginia bench.
While the game was going on I noticed Beilein and his top assistant coach Jeff Neubauer both down on their hands and knees coaching their players on defense. They were imploring them to keep Miami’s top two players – James Jones and Darius Rice – from getting easy shots inside.
That isn’t uncommon -- some of the best in the coaching business do it. I’ve watched Michigan State’s Tom Izzo drop down to the floor plenty of times. Virginia’s Pete Gillen actually places a towel under his knees for comfort.
But the thing that struck me most was the passion and sheer desire Beilein and his young coaches displayed. You could just see it oozing into their players. Soon after that defensive stop, West Virginia built up a small lead they took into the locker room at halftime.
It certainly wasn’t what Miami expected from West Virginia. After the game, Rice referred to West Virginia as “the Big East pits.”
Anyone who watches even a small amount of basketball could tell the more talented team was wearing the orange jerseys. They also happened to be the more confused team.
Midway into the second half West Virginia was getting control of the contest. At one point late in the game, Beilein had four freshmen including two walk-ons on the floor at the same time.
You just can’t do that in the Big East against a team like Miami that has gone to the NCAA tournament four out of the last five years and expect to win.
But they did it.
Beilein was noticeably pleased with his team’s performance after the game, not so much because it was his first Big East win at West Virginia University, but because of the way his team bounced back after a miserable 30-point loss to St. Louis just three days earlier.
“This could go either way,” Beilein cautioned reporters Monday afternoon before practice.
Beilein’s son Patrick told Dominion Post sports editor Bob Hertzel that his dad’s way of purging the St. Louis loss was to have his team spit on the stat sheet.
Once that was done, the game was over and out of their minds. It showed Tuesday.
A great deal of the credit has to go to the players, too. They bought into his system. They’re the ones diving for loose balls and running through walls. Those here last year endured the criticism and the shame that comes from losing 20 games in a program that has won 1,400 all-time. They read the magazines predicting how bad they were supposed to be.
Still Beilein, a veteran of more than 700 college basketball games, knows storm clouds are forming in the distance. His team must go to the MCI Center to face a big, physical Georgetown team on Sunday and then must come back just two days later to play No. 5-ranked Pitt at home on national television.
After that, four out of the next five are away from the Coliseum.
But he briefly took a few minutes to reflect on the evolution of his young team and the commitment they’ve made to him, the ‘West Virginia’ on the front of their jerseys, and the growing number of delighted fans coming out to watch them play.
While Beilein was making his post-game remarks, standing in the back of the press room was television analyst Bob Wenzel. I didn’t get a chance to talk to him but I knew why he was there: to congratulate John Beilein.
Wenzel, once a well-respected coach at Rutgers, spent time studying both teams. He knew Beilein was starting three freshmen and two sophomores. He knew all about Darius Rice and James Jones. And he knew the wide discrepancy in talent between the two teams.
Yes, Wenzel knew.
Beilein’s peers also know.
“I was amazed at how far they have come so quickly,” said James Madison coach Sherman Dillard after his team’s three-point loss earlier this year. “John’s teams do a great job of playing as one.”
Said Wofford coach Mike Young: “It will be interesting to follow West Virginia’s progress. I know there’s a concern about their depth, but I think it will be interesting to watch.”
Western Carolina coach Steve Shurina was equally complimentary, “I have more respect for John Beilein than any other coach in America.”
After yesterday’s loss, Miami coach Perry Clark offered his assessment of Beilein’s program: “Coach Beilein has done a really good job with this team. He has them buying into the system and executing very well. It’s a war every night in this conference. It is the best conference in America. You have tough competition every night and Coach Beilein will do a fine job.”
Judging from the crowd Tuesday night without the students, and a large turnout expected next Tuesday for the Pitt game, Mountaineer fans are beginning to realize it too.
John Beilein has a handle on things. No shortcuts. No end arounds. No bad kids. He’s going to do it his way.
Once he took the West Virginia job last spring he could have easily cherry-picked his former players at Richmond and convinced some of them to come with him to Morgantown. In many cases, those players were probably more bound to him than they were to the school.
Certainly Jeff Myers or Tony Dobbins could have helped ease Beilein’s transition into Big East play. Six-six forward Jamaal Scott is having a fine year as well. But he left the team intact for new Coach Jerry Wainwright.
Yesterday Richmond upset No. 21-ranked Xavier on the road and owns a 9-4 record heading into Atlantic 10 play this weekend.
Not only is his current team doing well, but he left his former team in great shape, too.
And that folks, is pretty remarkable these days.
